German Shepherd
I am a German Shepherd. This is my coat, so I will keep this brief and correct. It is a double coat: guard hairs for weather, wool underneath for temperature regulation and, twice a year, for redecorating your home.
Protocol
- Undercoat rake, 10 minutes, three days a week. Not a surface brush. A rake. Surface brushing a double coat is theatre.
- Coat blow, twice a year: rake daily, outdoors. It ends. Usually within three weeks. Log it if that helps you.
- Bath every 4 to 6 weeks, cool water. Rinse for longer than feels polite. Dry me to the skin or do not begin.
- Do not shave me. I will not elaborate. The double coat guide will.
Coat care: German Shepherd
Double coat. Sheds year-round, blows twice a year.
Weekly: undercoat rake, 10 min x 3 days. Slicker on trousers and tail, 2 min.
Coat blow: rake daily, outside. It ends in about 3 weeks.
Bath: every 4 to 6 weeks. Cool water, double rinse, dry to the skin.
Never: shave the coat. It will not come back the same.
Skip: conditioner, if you rake properly.
Itching, flakes or bald patches: vet, not bath.
- Tara (yes, the dog)
The full routine lives in the double coat guide.
Also on this shelf: Golden Retriever
What we use at home
floof it Gentle Cleanser. Salon grade, made for us by our manufacturing partner, used on both of us every second Saturday. Two pumps for Alfie. Four for Tara.
Short smooth coat? You need less of everything on this page. Including this bottle. Half doses go a long way.
Honest answer: if your dog has fleas today, you need a vet, not a shampoo. Ours included. Go. Come back after.
This is grooming guidance from people who live with dogs, not veterinary advice. Itching that keeps returning, flakes, bald patches, redness, or a smell that comes back within days is a vet conversation, not a bath. Your vet and groomer outrank this page.
